PART of Bolong Road could end up in the Shoalhaven River unless significant steps are taken to stop erosion. The river is less than 20 metres from the road near the junction of Shoalhaven River and Broughton Creek. Shoalhaven City Council owns about 80 metres of land, the worst affected, with the rest owned by Jim Knapp and Margaret Soper. Mr Knapp owns about 150 metres of riverfront where erosion is taking his land and although the worst of it is beyond his boundary he is concerned about the entire length. “It’s worse at the area set aside for the fishermen, that’s the major problem,” he said. “From the 1960s rock protection was put in along the river bank and that rock is staring to fail. “The rock is well proven, “I’m proposing to [the Catchment Management Authority], Shoalhaven City Council and Fisheries that temporary concrete block protection be installed to allow for a mangrove plantation to be established. “I know concrete blocks are not attractive but hopefully after a few years they could be removed, once the mangroves are established.” Mr Knapp said over the last few decades he had noticed the rate of erosion had increased. “This is not really natural erosion, it has increased in the last few years because of more intensive boat use and wakeboarding.” “Fifty years ago boats weren’t doing the speeds they do now and they weren’t designed to put out a large wake,” he said. Shoalhaven Mayor Joanna Gash said the erosion was of great concern to council. “Each time I go past a bit more land has gone,” she said. “It is important for us to work with the federal government, particularly at election time, to have some sort of support. “Riverwatch has been very strong on this. “We need to find out how much this will cost. “We seem to always wait for the catastrophe to happen, we don’t tend to do too much forward management in circumstances like this,” Cr Gash said. Luke Dunn and Kylie Hall moved to Bomaderry three years ago and have seen noticeable erosion since that time. The couple fish along the riverbank regularly and said most times they go fishing a new section of the bank has fallen into the river. “Since we’ve been coming here I have seen about two metres of land fall into the river in one section,” Ms Hall said. “We park our car well back from the edge, and have to watch where we’re walking along the top.”

Shoalhaven River erosion threatens Bolong Road

PART of Bolong Road could end up in the Shoalhaven River unless significant steps are taken to stop erosion.

The river is less than 20 metres from the road near the junction of Shoalhaven River and Broughton Creek.

Shoalhaven City Council owns about 80 metres of land, the worst affected, with the rest owned by Jim Knapp and Margaret Soper.

Mr Knapp owns about 150 metres of riverfront where erosion is taking his land and although the worst of it is beyond his boundary he is concerned about the entire length.

“It’s worse at the area set aside for the fishermen, that’s the major problem,” he said.

“From the 1960s rock protection was put in along the river bank and that rock is staring to fail.

“The rock is well proven,

“I’m proposing to [the Catchment Management Authority], Shoalhaven City Council and Fisheries that temporary concrete block protection be installed to allow for a mangrove plantation to be established.

“I know concrete blocks are not attractive but hopefully after a few years they could be removed, once the mangroves are established.”

Mr Knapp said over the last few decades he had noticed the rate of erosion had increased.

“This is not really natural erosion, it has increased in the last few years because of more intensive boat use and wakeboarding.”

“Fifty years ago boats weren’t doing the speeds they do now and they weren’t designed to put out a large wake,” he said.

Shoalhaven Mayor Joanna Gash said the erosion was of great concern to council.

“Each time I go past a bit more land has gone,” she said.

“It is important for us to work with the federal government, particularly at election time, to have some sort of support.

“Riverwatch has been very strong on this.

“We need to find out how much this will cost.

“We seem to always wait for the catastrophe to happen, we don’t tend to do too much forward management in circumstances like this,” Cr Gash said.

Luke Dunn and Kylie Hall moved to Bomaderry three years ago and have seen noticeable erosion since that time.

The couple fish along the riverbank regularly and said most times they go fishing a new section of the bank has fallen into the river.

“Since we’ve been coming here I have seen about two metres of land fall into the river in one section,” Ms Hall said.

“We park our car well back from the edge, and have to watch where we’re walking along the top.”

WAVE ACTION: A fence on a farm at Bolong states a clear message about erosion of the Shoalhaven River bank.